Does contingent reward leadership enhance or diminish
team creativity?
Summary:
Sĩ (trưa thứ 7)
- Introduction
The impact of contingent reward leadership on team creativity hinges significantly
on the predictability of the leader. Contingent reward leadership involves setting clear
expectations and offering rewards contingent upon meeting those expectations. When
leaders are predictable in their application of contingent rewards, it can enhance team
creativity by providing a structured framework within which team members feel
encouraged to explore and innovate.
Predictable contingent reward systems establish a sense of security and trust
among team members, as they understand the criteria for reward and feel confident in
their ability to achieve it. This stability can foster a conducive environment for creativity,
as individuals are more likely to take risks and think outside the box when they feel
supported and incentivized.
Conversely, when contingent rewards are applied unpredictably, it can diminish
team creativity. Inconsistent reward systems create uncertainty and anxiety among team
members, undermining their confidence in their ability to achieve rewards. This
uncertainty can stifle creativity, as individuals may become more risk-averse and less
willing to explore innovative ideas for fear of not being rewarded or being penalized
arbitrarily.
In summary, contingent reward leadership can either enhance or diminish team
creativity depending on the predictability of the leader. Predictable contingent reward
systems can foster a supportive environment that encourages creativity, while
unpredictable systems can create uncertainty and hinder creative expression. Leaders
should strive to establish clear and consistent reward structures to maximize the creative
potential of their teams.
- The motivation: why they do this research?
The authors undertook this research due to a gap in existing knowledge regarding
the relationship between contingent reward leadership and team creativity, particularly in
the context of clarifying effort-reward contingencies. While prior studies have suggested
that reward provision could enhance creativity, there was limited understanding of how
contingent reward leadership specifically influences team creativity.
Drawing on the theory of learned industriousness, the authors hypothesized that
contingent reward leadership could facilitate team knowledge exchange, consequently
leading to improved team creative performance. However, they also proposed that this
relationship could be affected by leader unpredictability, which might create uncertainty
regarding resource allocation and potentially undermine the positive impact of contingent
reward leadership.
To investigate these hypotheses, the authors conducted a field study using a two-
source, lagged design (three-wave) with data collected from 60 organizational teams. The
results of their study revealed a conditional indirect (moderated mediation) effect of
contingent reward leadership on team creative performance through team knowledge
exchange. Notably, this effect was found to be positive when leader unpredictability was
low but negative when leader unpredictability was high.
Ultimately, the findings of this research offer valuable insights for leaders by
highlighting the importance of acting in predictable and consistent ways when
implementing contingent reward leadership. By addressing this gap in understanding, the
authors provide actionable advice for leaders seeking to enhance team creative
performance through effective leadership practices.
- The proposed model
we propose that CR leadership promotes knowledge exchange among team
members, thereby increasing team creative performance. However, we argue that this
effect can be undermined if leaders employ such behavior in unpredictable and
inconsistent ways. We tested this model in a three- wave, two-source field study with 60
teams from various industries in India.
- Theory and hypothesis
Theory 1: CR Leadership (contingent reward leadership), Team Knowledge
Exchange, and Team Creative Performance
Hypothesis 1: CR leadership is positively related to team knowledge
exchange.
Hypothesis 2: Team knowledge exchange is positively related to team
creative performance.
Hypothesis 3: CR leadership has a positive indirect effect on team creative
performance through team knowledge exchange.
Theory 2: The Moderating Role of Leader Unpredictability
Hypothesis 4: There is a conditional indirect (moderated mediation) effect
such that the indirect effect of CR leadership via team knowledge exchange
on team creative performance is moderated by leader unpredictability. This
effect is significant and positive when leader unpredictability is low and
becomes less strongly positive as leader unpredictability increases.
Nguyên (trưa thứ 7)
- Statistical method: the sample size, how they sample the data, how
they analyze the data
Sĩ (chủ nhật)
- Results
- Further discussion
